Demorest, GA – The Piedmont College baseball team gave up all six runs in the first two innings of a rare home loss earlier tonight falling 6-2 in a midweek contest to in-state foe Oglethorpe University.
The Stormy Petrels (15-9, 5-6 SAA) were quieted by the Piedmont pitching staff for most of the evening but a 4-spot in the first and two more in the second proved too much for Piedmont (17-8, 14-7 USA South) to overcome at Loudermilk Field.
For PC, the defeat is just the fourth home loss this season in 16 games in the friendly confines as Piedmont is a combined 29-8 in its last 37 home games dating back to 2013.
No Lion picked up multiple hits on the night though a pair of Piedmont catchers did combine to go a perfect 2-for-2 with two walks as Austin Brick and Daniel Lindsey split time behind the plate in the mid-week contest.
Oglethorpe picked up its first run of the night on a bases-loaded walk before Keith Dearden stroked a bases-clearing double one batter later to put the visitors up 4-0 heading into the home half.
After OU held the home team scoreless in the opening frame, the bats of the Stormy Petrels did more damage in the top of the 2nd with another multiple-RBI double that put OU up 6-0 before many fans had settled into their seats for the cool, crisp evening of baseball in Demorest.
However, the Lions got a run back in the bottom of the second and the bottom of the third as Casey Parham drove in Breck Davidson on a two-out single moments after Austin Brick kept the inning alive with his own two-out hit. Brick would be stranded at third after moving up 90 feet on a wild pitch as the Lions left 10 on base throughout the night.
In the third, it was Davidson who picked up the RBI base hit that plated shortstop Griffin Olson who had reached earlier in the inning on a single of his own. Now down 6-2, it would be up to the Piedmont pitching staff to keep the Lions in the hunt and the bullpen was up to the task.
From the top of the 4th on, six Piedmont arms combined to 2-hit the Stormy Petrels as OU would not score a run the rest of the night with only six getting on base as the visiting side was retired in order on two different occasions.
However, with the home team’s pitching keeping the Lions within striking distance, Oglethorpe had an answer of their own on the mound as Joe Marco and Spencer Transue combined to 1-hit the Lions in the final three innings after starter Sam Franklin went six giving up five hits and two runs, both earned. Franklin picked up the win with Piedmont’s Andy Bonifay getting the loss, his first decision of 2015.
For Piedmont, pitchers Michael Henderson, Matt Stehpens, and Luke MacDonald each threw at least an inning or more without giving up a hit.
Allen Tokaraz did the same throwing a three-up, three-down 8th inning on just 11 pitches. Reliever Josh Thomas continues his strong 2015 campaign tossing one inning of work allowing one hit in the 9th.
Piedmont will back on the diamond this weekend when the Lions take on the Monarchs of Methodist University at Loudermilk Field. The two will play a doubleheader on Friday starting at 2:00 pm and finish up the series playing the finale on Saturday with first pitch set for 2:00 pm in that contest as well.
Following the Methodist series, Piedmont will play its final home game of the season hosting the nation’s 4th ranked team in Birmingham-Southern College on Wednesday, April 8 with first pitch set for 6:00 pm at Loudermilk.
Live coverage of all four home games including this weekend’s series vs. Methodist will be carried on the Mane Event Broadcasting Network with live video and live stats included.
